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Beyond words: creative listening in (dis)ability and employment
By IOE Blog Editor, on 3 December 2025
Photo credits: Duncan Mercieca.
3 December 2025
By Duncan Mercieca and Leda Kamenopoulou
On 5 November 2025, we gathered at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) for an interactive workshop designed for disabled young people aged 16–25, many of whom are navigating unemployment. Families and carers joined too, creating a space where experiences could be shared openly. The aim was simple yet profound: to rethink what employment means when viewed through the lens of disability – and to do so creatively.
The session also welcomed students reading for the IOE’s Special and Inclusive Education MA, who observed and participated in the activities. Their presence added an important dimension, bridging academic learning and lived experience and highlighting the value of inclusive research and practice.
Rather than relying on verbal discussion alone, participants were invited to construct tangible artefacts: objects that represented their aspirations, challenges and lived realities. Using everyday materials, they worked with textures and forms that felt familiar yet open to interpretation. This hands-on process became a way of ‘thinking through making’, allowing ideas and emotions to emerge without the pressure of finding the “right” words.
Words often fall short. Employment is not just a policy issue or a set of statistics; it is deeply personal, shaped by social structures, material conditions and embodied experiences. A sociomaterial perspective (see Barad, 2007) recognises that meaning is created through the interaction of people and things, that our experiences are shaped not only by social factors but also by the materials, spaces and objects we engage with. In this sense, the artefacts were not mere crafts; they were embodiments of lived experience, resonating with emotions and ideas that speech alone could not capture.
One participant expressed this beautifully:
“My life has always been in-between: my parents come from different countries, so I am made up of two halves. Being neurodiverse places me in-between the normal and the dis-normal; having a hearing loss places me in-between wanting to listen, to be in conversations and be heard, but on the other hand craving peace, quiet, serenity.”
This sense of being ‘in-between’ shaped the atmosphere of the workshop: creating spaces where expression could transcend words. It reminded us that listening is not only about hearing spoken language but attending to what surfaces through creative expression, through textures, colours and forms that speak silently yet powerfully.
As facilitators, we witnessed how creative methods can open spaces for dialogue that are inclusive and empowering. Listening, in this context, also meant noticing gestures, attending to materials and recognising that silence can speak volumes. These practices challenge conventional notions of voice and invite us to consider listening as an ethical act: an openness to what is not immediately articulated.
The session also highlighted the importance of advocacy through creativity. By making visible what is often invisible, these artefacts challenge dominant narratives about (dis)ability and employment. They invite policymakers, educators, and employers to rethink assumptions and to imagine futures, where inclusion is not an afterthought but a starting point.
The artefacts and reflections from this workshop have been curated for a digital exhibition, extending the conversation beyond the room. Our hope is that these creative expressions will continue to provoke thought and inspire change, reminding us that sometimes, the most powerful voices are those that speak without words.
Photo credit: Leda Kamenopoulou.
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